When Bush angrily said, "let me finish" during the debate, who

[Blue_Roses]

the hell was he talking to? I was wondering that at the time and it still baffles me as to who the hell he was referring to? :shrug:


With no one interrupting him, he protested, "Let me finish" - a phrase he occasionally deploys to great effect before the cowed White House press corps.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/uselections2004/comment/story/0,14259,1318185,00.html

[Malva Zebrina]

1. the "voices" in his head? nt

[jumpstart33]

21. He used several rehearsed lines out of place in the debate.

This one is a tactic to make one appear "in-charge" macho, etc.

Let's have a quiz. Can you find the other 2 times he used a rehearsed line out of place? First one to do it gets tickets to Disneyland!

[Supersedeas]

23. Rehearsal and repeat...rehearsal and repeat...rehearsal and messed mixages

[girl gone mad]

27. "tax gap"? n/t

[dave123williams]

2. I dunno, maybe God was interupting his thought processes with new orders.

[graywarrior]

3. It was a tourette reaction

[Jokinomx]

4. He may have been directing it to Jim Lehrer...the moderator...

We couldn't see if he was giving a signal or something to Smirky to finish up...

:dem:

[Eric J in MN]

5. There could have been a hand gesture or facial gesture

from the moderator which caused Bush to say that.

I don't consider it good evidence that his answers were being fed through an earpiece.

[SayitAintSo]

The lights didn't indicate he was over time tho'

So it doesn't make sense that it was the moderator.

[elperromagico]

6. Maybe Lehrer made a gesture like he was going to talk.

Shrub says the same thing during his press conferences. The funny thing about that is, when he says "let me finish," he usually has nothing else to say.

[cheshire]

7. Jim Lehrer thought he was done because he stopped talking for so long.

[skordane]

9. Irish Reporter

He kept on saying that to the Irish woman reporter who actually asked him some real questions.

[ZombieNixon]

12. Do you mean Helen Thomas?

On edit: Never mind, I'm stupid. Helen Thomas isn't Irish!

:Beats self over head with saucepan:

[TexasProgresive]

17. It was an RTE reporter. Helen is blacklisted

because she actually asks questions that require answers. I really think that the Washington press corp and the WH press in particular should boycott these useless press conferences. Go but when Snotty comes to the podium-they should turn their backs on him except for Helen.

[ewagner]

19. That's what I thought also

Bush was so incoherent, Lehrer really didn't know when Bush finished speaking.

[Evergreen Emerald]

8. Great article! I especially liked:

"Kerry responded with a devastating deconstruction of Bush's epistemology. Nothing like this critique of pure reason has ever been heard in a presidential debate."

[MADem]

10. He was having a flashback

...to that interview with that ballsy Irishwoman who interviewed him in the White House Map Room. If he said "let me finish!" once to her, he said it ten times. She was much prettier than Jim, though!

ON EDIT-skordane!!! Great minds! Jinx, you owe me a coke!

[Paradise]

11. Preempting Jim Lehrer! n/t

[comradebillyboy]

13. he was responding to the voice in the earphone

[Blue_Roses]

32. LOL!

good one!:D

[rooboy]

14. Harvey. n/t

[DaveOinSF]

15. Implanted earpiece

I have no evidence to suggest that he was not responding to instructions from Rove or Cheney coming in on the earpiece implanted in his head. I cannot confirm or deny such a scenario.

I also cannot say whether such a scenario is more or less likely than the hypothesis that he was responding to seeing the light go off. His remark, after all, came around the 60second mark of his response, and green/yellow/red lights were set to go off 30, 15 and 5-seconds away from the approved 90-second limit.

Once again, I have no evidence to suggest that he was or was not responding to instructions from an implanted earpiece rather than responding to the light going off.

[Star]

22. So, what do you think is on his back?

http://www.bluelemur.com/index.php?p=321

[RevCheesehead]

34. They implanted a backbone

[ThoughtCriminal]

40. Wind up key!

nt

[agates]

16. I thought it was in response to a non-verbal signal from

Laura to STFU.

It reminded me of being with out with a a man with a drinking problem and his long suffering wife. He is rambling on, stupidly. She repeatedly gives him the look that says shut up and he finally lets her have it. Unless you are aware of the dynamics, you have no idea who he's talking to.

[TheWebHead]

18. Bush apparently admires Ross Perot's debating skills...

Can I finish? Can I finish? Can I finish? Can I finish? Can I finish?

[zbdent]

20. Wouldn't be surprised if he knew he was in trouble and wanted to

(breaking the rules) use the "wait, let me finish!" clip in his campaign commercials to make it look like Kerry was interrupting him.

Think about it. He claims (to the uninformed) that Kerry was trying to cut him off when it was his turn. As "proof", he pulls out the "Wait, let me finish!" clip.

The rules said that they would not be allowed to use video from the debates in their campaign commercials. Well, we know how much Fox likes to enforce the rules when a Repuke breaks them, don't we?

[yellowcanine]

24. It was a premptive attack. He thought Leher was thinking about

having a program to interrupt him.

[iwantmycountryback]

25. He was talking to the voices in his head

Chastising him for all the bullshit he's spewing.

[liberal N proud]

26. It is like the kid in the back seat of the car "he is touching me" when in

fact the other child is not touching him. But Mom and Dad will never know.
If you slip in a "Let me Finish" then the faithful will think Kerry was rude and would let him talk or was interupting.

[KT2000]

28. Still think he had an earpiece

he may have been talking to the voices in his earpiece

[Cha]

29. democrats.com has this posted on

their site..

"Was Bush was Being Coached through an Earpiece during the Debate?

Unbelievable! But likely true! John Reynolds writes "In the middle of an answer last night Bush said, "now let me finish" as if someone was interrupting him- yet nobody did- he talking to the person in his earpiece. Listen to the mp3 yourself- or watch the video at c-span. did anyone out there record the debate... The 'let me finish' quip was clearly Bush talking to ( probably Rove) in his earpiece- saying let me finish before you give me the next answer. He blows it 60 sec into his 90 sec reply- so no warning lights had gone off and Lehrer had not motioned for him to end as he had plenty of time left. my guess is that it's an implant, not something stuck in his ear. Shouldn't this be enough to warrant a major investigation of some sort- the 'president' is so incompetent he needs an earpiece to speak in public?" We woonder what doctor (if an implant) would unethical enough to do such a thing?"
http://www.democrats.com

[KT2000]

30. Hey - thanks for the link

I have been thinking if revealing this would be good or bad. I think they are already looking for something to get indignant about so they can get out of the rest of the debates.

I really think shrub has a medical problem that he is trying to conceal - something that has to do with cognition.

[Octafish]

31. KKKarl Rove and Karen Huge

"Mixed messages, you idiot! Not missed mexiges!"

[KT2000]

37. Get this to some publication

this is priceless!
Really this needs to bee seen by all!

And Karen HUGE - too funny

[undercover_brother]

33. I think there is a real reason.

I am enjoying the reasons stated here, but I believe that Kerry was signalling that he wanted to use one of the 30 second optional rebutals after Bush finished his time alotment. Bush seeing Lehrer accepting the signal from Kerry chose to tell Lehrer to "let me finish" even though no one was going to cut him off during his time block.

Although odd and perhaps even paranoid in nature, the "let me finish" statement may have made more sense if the cameras had shown the entire stage including moderator. If I remember correctly, after Bush finished attempting to form some kind of point, Kerry did use one of the 30 second rebutals.

This whole debate really demonstrated just how much our President relies on his handlers to prep him. He rarely does press conferences and when he did do some the press generally were walking on egg shells because the Republicans has spun any criticisms of the President as being unpatriotic in the shadow of 9/11. Bush has never really been challenged until now.

His campaign relies on preapproved crowds who provide canned applause like a 1970's gameshow. His townhall campaign stops have been love fests from adoring Republican contributors. The media has been pampering him at first due to the traditional honeymoon period all Presidents enjoy, then fear from 9/11, then fear from the "liberal media" label they all seemed to fall for.

BTW, has anyone else noticed that the press corp almost turned on a dime today in their coverage of Bush. Day before the debate they were pushing all of Karl Roves favorite talking points. Today they are jumping ship and coverring more Kerry friendly stories. The difference is stark. The media's attention span seems to be about 4-6 weeks lately on who they back. Kerry was the man a few weeks before the Democratic Convention until about 2 weeks before the Republican Convention. Bush was given late Augist until the day before the debate. If they stick to this trend than we should have friendly press right up til November 2. Things are looking up.

[ScreamingMeemie]

35. I think it's code speak. I always have.

I think he's coached in the debates and in his speeches. He uses "let me finish" all the time, and I think the only reason is that it's a signal for something or other. :hi:

[Southsideirish]

36. Don't you get it - he thinks he's our KING! NO ONE challenges

King George and gets away with it! The Bush's think they are our Royal Family. I bet right now even old Jeb is busy planning his reign.

[kodi]

38. it is a standard tool in debates to garner sympathy as one put upon

bush uses it regularly when he is faced with tough questioning. he used it repeatedly in his interview with the irish female journalist months ago who actually asked real questions and miffed bush mightily.

[ThePhilosopher04]

39. Did you also notice the light was still GREEN!!!!

nm